Swinging automobile headlight



May 18 1926. 1,584,720

c. E. BLACKBURN SWINGING AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT Filed Jan. 2, 1926ulglllllllllllll/ Patented May ld,

e' wenn fg Preis@ s CHARLES ELLS BLACKBURN, OF EVANSVELLE, .NDIANI-LSl/VINGNG AUTOMOBLE HEADLXGHT.

Application filed January This inventionA relates mobile headlights.

rlhe object of the invention is to provide novel means ior sivingino* ordetlecting headlights to automobile headlights to deflect the beams oflight laterally toward the side of the road or street so they will notbe directed atthe tace ot the` driver ot a car approaching from theopposite direction.

i lateral deflection or turning through an arc ot ten to fifteen degreesis usually suiiicient to accon'iplish the object oi the invention, butthe deflection may be through arcs ot greater or lesser number otdegrees.

My invention relates, more particularly to the means for swinging oroperating the headlights. Therefore, l may employ pistons and cylinderssubject to suitable control of air, gas or other i'luid for actuatingthe opera ing means, or electrically or electro-magnetically actuatedoperating means. ,ll-lence, except Where specilically yrecited in theclaims, it to to be understood that the invention is not limited to anyparticular means ,for actuating the mechanism which sivin gs ktheheadlights and loclrsthem either in normal position or in dei'lectedposition.

'l have ilustrated air operated pistons and cylinders, subject tosuitable valve control whereby the headlight operating means may beoperated, but this is only by Way of illusration, as previouslyexplained.

The headlights are mounted to swing on upright axes and are crosscoupled so that they will move' .in unison. in operating arm is employed'for turningl thc mounting ot one of the headlights. This arm is subjectto actuation inone direction or the other by a reciprocatory doublecone, Which, in turn, is moved in one direction or the other by the airoperated or electrically operated means employed ttor controlling themechto swinging autoanisni. rlhe ope 'ating arm is combined inr a novelfashion with a latching device which, also is `subject to operation bythe double cone. rllhe latching device locks the operating aim in itsrespective positions.

A practical embodiment ot the invention is .shown in the accompanyingdrawing and set forth in the following speciiication.

Modications may be resorted to in respect to the improved operatingmechanism, aside from the means by which said operating mechanism isoperated.

'lin the accompanying drawings l is a horizontal section through 2,1926. Serial ll'o. 78,872.

the shells and certain parts, the operating mechanism appearing in Jfulllines; and

Figures 2 and S, are sections through one ot the shells showing theheadlight mountings and the operating mechanism in ull nues.

rlhe headlights are carried by roolrable upright mountings l, which, inturn are mounted in brackets 2 carried by the automobile. rllheoperating mechanism is 'contained Within either o;t` the housings 3 butit is not necessary to lduplicate the operating mechanism as theprovision of onemechanism is sullicient.

rlhe rochable mountings l are provided with arms Which arecross-connected by a rod 5 pivoted to them at 6 anld running freely`through a tube 7 which connects the housings rlhus, protection isobtained from tie Weather and from accidental injury to the crossconnections.

The roclrable mounting l has suitably secured thereto' an operating arm8 by Which said mounting l is rocked, and through the connections l, 5,the other mounting l is correspondingly rocked.

There is a latch-operator 9 which is pivoted tothe arm 8 at l0 and ispivoted at 1l to the locking pin or latch l2 which isarranged to operatevertically. The bracket 13 carried by the arm 8 has a socket orbarrellll in Which the upper end of the locking pin or latch 12 slides.Ain expansible coil spring l5 contained Within the barrel or socket le,presses on the upper end oi the latch or pin l2 and forces it down*Wardly.

Located below the arm 8 is a locking segment 16 which has two holes 17spaced at such distance apart and so located that'When the pin 12 is inone of these holes, the headlights will be directed straight ahead foruse, but when the locking pin is in 'the other hole 17, the arm S willthen be disposed at an angle ot over ten 'to hfteen degrees, more orless, to its normal position so that the leadlights will then be locatedin the deiiected or swung position representing the travel through anarc Jrroni ten to fifteen degrees more or less. ,Y

'lhe pivot lO for the latch operator 9 passes through an intermediatepart of said latch operator' so that the ends 1S and 19 of the arm 9 andlatch operator 9 are arrarib'ec in scissorslihe disposition tor the p.e; which 'will new i The arm S is swungand the latch oper tor 9 isactuated against the tension ot the gring' 15, or released, by a doublecone Q() which has an intermediate part Q1. lmien the double cone 20 ismoved in one direction it will swing the arm S in the direction ot itsmovement and when moved in the oppo` site direction it will swing; saidarm in the opposite direction but said cone. will tirst depress theouter end ot the latch operator 9, thereby releasing' the latch or pintron the hole 17 in which it is at that time received. lVhen theoperation ot the double cone 2O ceases the spring 15 acts and forces thepin or latch 12 into the socket or hole 1? over which it is at that timepositioned.

I have illustrated air controlled means for operating the double conebut it clear that electrically operated means or electro-magneticallyoperated means, solenoids for instance, subject to suitable switchcontrol could be substituted and it is to be und-en stood, therefore,that I do not limit my claims except where specitied to any particularmeans t'or moving,l the double cone ill) to an( tro.

Bumpers 2Q and Q3 arrest the arm S at points representingl the desiredlimits ot its travel in opposite direction.

As shown, the cone 2O is carried by a rod 24 which has pistons 25, 26,operating in cylinders 2T, 2S. rl`he cylinders are, respectively,subject to fluid pressure through pipes 29, 30, controlled by a suitablevalve 31 to which the fluid pressure is delivered 'from the tank 82 by apipe 33. Any suitable means may be provided tor admitting compressed airto the tank 39 for instance, it may have an air connection so that itmay be charged at any gasoline service station from the air supplythere, or, the pressure may be pumped up by a hand pump.

It is to be understood that the cylinders 2T and 28 may utilize theexhausts from the engine as the motive fluid, under suitable valvecontrol. On the other hand, the cylinders 2T, 98, may be operated byvacuum vfrom the yacuum tank ot the automobile, under suitable valvecontrol.

lllhatever the operating.' means tor shite ing the double cone 20,assuming that tie headlights are directed straight ahead.r the latchlvrill then be in that one ol' the holes 1T which will cause the arm Sto be locked as shown in the drawings. The reduced part :7.1 ot' thedouble cone will then lie between the ends 18 and 19. (ln n'io"\=ing'the double cone 20 tor the purpose of swinging the arm 8 to turn ordetlect the headlights, one section of the cone relatively spreads apartthe ends 18 and 19, the latch operator 9 then turning on its pivot 10,resulting in the withdrawal ot the pin 12 from the hole 1l?. Immediatelythe pin has been withdrawn 'trom the hole the continued advance ol thedouble cone, causes swin tin; v ol' the arm El until it is arrested bythe bumper 233. 'Ihe headlights are then in their deflected position sothat the rays of light will not tiash in the face ot' the driverapproaching i'rom the opposite direction. The latch 3 is ther over theremaining;A hole li'. (ln release, ot the pressure or vacuum or cuttingoli' the electricity', tho 'ase may lie, the spring 15 will then snapthe pin Q0 into the said hole 17 and lock the arm 8 in its deflectedposition so that the headlights will remain where turned. lllhen it isdesired to restore the headlights to normal position, movement of thecono 2O in the opposite direction is broughtabout by operating' thevalve or electrical switch, whereupon thc other section ot said conetirst unlatches the pil. 12 and then the continued movement ol thc coneswings on arm 3 baci; to its normal 'position where it is arrested bybnmpex` The spring 15 then forces the pin 1;) into thc other hole 17.

lllhat I claim is:

1. Means for swinging headlights comprising,l a rotatably mounted membertor turning the headlights, means carried by said member adapted forlatching it in its respective positions, and an actuator adapted, whenoperated, to tirst automatically unlatch the rotatably mounted meinbe;`and then lo .fnvincr said rotatably mounted member.

Z. Means tor swinging headlights cornprising a rotatably mounted memberlor turning the headlights, means tor latchina said member in itsrespective positions, and a double cone actuator' adapted, when operated, to first automatically nnlatch the rotatably mounted member andthen to swing said rotatably mounted member.

3.' Means for swinging headlights comprising a rotatably mounted arm ortarning the headlights, a latch operatoiI movably mounted on, andcarried by, said arm. a locking` latch operated by said latch operatorand actuator adzfipted first to operaie the latch operator to releasethe latch and thereafter to swing the arm.

fl. lvleans tor swinging headlilcjhlscomprising a rotatably mounted arml'or turning): the headlights, a latch operator movablil mounted on, andcarried ly, said arm. a lockingl latch operated by said latch opmatorand a removably monnte-:l double conc adapted first to operate the latchopef'fel.:' to release the latch and thereafter to swirmj the arm.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

CHARLES ELLIS BLA CK BU RX.

Ell)

